Aideen Hayden (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. There is a Chinese curse which states, "May you live in interesting times". The times we live in are very interesting indeed and, like all Members of this House, I am almost afraid to turn on the radio every day to find what state Europe is in now. We all receive representations, particularly from older people who are worried about the collapse of the euro and possible loss of their savings. Economic stability within the eurozone is critical for this country. As my colleagues have said, the Bill before us is not a controversial measure. I listened to a similar debate in the Dáil yesterday and it was interesting how measured it was, with a couple of notable exceptions. It is irresponsible for some Members of the Oireachtas to make statements about burning bondholders and express other extremely simplistic attitudes.